


What happened to Sensu?

by via_ru88



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Comic, Divergent, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25679116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/via_ru88/pseuds/via_ru88
Summary: In which that question gets (at least a partial) answer, the comet makes trouble for everyone, and young love is everywhere.Also, fathers and sons; so complex, yet so beautiful.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	What happened to Sensu?

**SENSU**

Tara was dying on the other side of the cell. Sensu could stand the smell, but not the sound. She had banished the rest of them to listen as she fought for breath.  
Sensu’s back was to her, his face to Feng, the tallest of their unit. Feng lay on his back, hands clasped lightly over his chest. Something in the breaths changed, and Sensu realized Tara was crying. He knew by now that nothing he did would help, he’d just spread the disease faster.

Coward. He thought. But he didn’t move.

Feng’s light green eyes opened on the ceiling as if it disgusted him, he sighed, then sat up, looking past Sensu’s shoulder to where Tara lay. He went to her. Sensu watched Feng lift her head and shoulders, (despite her feeble protests), and cradle them against his boney chest. They stayed that way, Feng rocking her slightly, until her shallow breaths stopped all together. The morning bell rang, Sensu sat up, and watched Feng kiss the top of her shaved, sweat-sticky head.

Feng met Sensu’s eyes. The Eighth Battalion had marched into Shi-Tien Valley 1000 strong. When General ‘Quitter’ had surrendered, they were down to somewhere under 600. 423 survived the journey to the prison, and now with Tara dead, they were 12. Feng would likely follow her, (Peintur Pox was extremely contagious).

“Idiot.” said Sensu, “You’re next.”

Feng smiled. “Nothing’s going to save us, Sen. We might as well be kind.”

“You’re still dead.” mouthed Sensu, as the key clattered in the cell lock.

The guards fussed at the sight of Tara’s body like school girls holding silk skirts away from ostrich-horse dung.

“Don’t like the smell, huh?” sneered Ganjang.

Sensu shook his head. Feng sighed.

“Stick around a while, Ladies,” Ganjang continued, “You’ll get used to it!”

One guard pulled out brass knuckles. Another made twin flame knives.

Feng raised an eyebrow, jaw set.

“Ok, I missed my guess.” said Sensu, though no one could hear him while the guards laid into Ganjang. When Ganjang was still, the guards turned to Feng, and Sensu.

“You two, take the woman to the Hole. You two take that coal-face. The spider-hound is growling. We don’t want her getting loose now do we?”

“‘M not dead!” sputted Ganjang from the floor.

The owner of the brass knuckles kicked him in the temple.

Sensu let out a breath, he didn’t know he’d been holding. He picked up Tara’s bruised and pock marked legs, as Feng took her under the arms. Sensu tried to ignore the bitter irony in Feng’s smile. Tara was objectively lite, and still Sensu’s malnourished body struggled to carry his share of the weight.  
The others deposited Ganjang and left immediately, Feng began the funeral rites. Sensu hesitated. He looked at the two black and blue faces, one from beating, one from disease. He went to stand by Feng, speaking the words with him. There was no earth to cover them, so they used the ash, and dust between the bones.

Sensu saw four flame catchlights blink at him from the shadows. He froze. A low humming growl emanated from the dark.

Feng grabbed at his arm, cursing, “Let’s get out of here, Sen!”

Sensu held Feng’s arm, dropped his eyes in submission, his body in ready position to react to whatever the beast brought him. “I hear they’re like moose-lions.” he said with as much calm as he could muster. “We run now we are dead for sure.”

The clatter and crunch met their ears as the beast padded towards them on eight paws. Feng ran, Sensu cursed, but stayed still.

“Sensu, come on!” yelled Feng. “No, wait-”

Sensu heard the door to the grate shut behind him. His pulse was a pack of speeding rhinos. Something warm, wet and furry touched his outstretched hand.

Sensu’s nerve broke, he ran for the grate, he slammed against the metal painfully. He looked to the disappearing guards, Feng took his hand trying to pull him between the bars, but though the rest of him was thin enough, his head would not fit. A clattering of bones and snuffled humming snarl approached from behind.

Sensu looked back; the beast was charging straight for him.

He let go of Feng’s hand, and ducked to the side. The creature slammed, nuzzle first, into the bars. Five times it did so. Sensu held his breath, flattened against the rusty metal wall. It groaned, putting up one paw to rub it’s sore snout. Four black eyes turned to blink curiously at him. Sensu was paralized as the creature came for him.

He squeezed his eyes shut thinking about the farm back home, his father, mother and his brother Lee. He silently prayed to the spirits to watch over them; that the Avatar would finally come to end this war and then felt- a tongue.

The creature was licking him. Sensu blinked at the creature stunned, uncomprehending. Eventually it looked up at him, panted, blinked curious eyes at him, and then turned around and went to where the new corpses lay, and began to munch.

Sensu’s panting turned into uncontrolled laughter, his back sliding down the wall. Eventually, he looked back at the grate, near the base where the creatures had slammed it’s nose through, the space was now just wide enough for him to fit through. If the guards noticed his return to the courtyard for roll call, they did nothing.

Alive a little longer.

After three days of hard labor however, Sensu’s fatigue increased, ten fold; and the blistering bruises began to appear on his chest and limbs. He said nothing to the others, but did keep his distance from everyone except Feng, who had already been exposed. Served him right, he guessed.

**ZUKO**

Zuko rubbed his eyes, then his legs, then hugged his chilled arms a moment. Some part of him said going to sleep would be wise, but he knew himself; either he faced his uncle now (as soon as he woke) or he would never have the guts.

So many nights traveling together over the past year, Zuko had harassed his uncle for that log sawing noise he made. In the grey light of this morning, with the last fight of the war ahead of him, everything about this moment was sentimental. He was glad the canvas tent walls would be his only witnesses, because he was pretty sure as soon as he began to speak, he would cry. He had decided not to stop it.

He had thought through his apology so many times his head hurt, and still it did not seem quite good enough. How could any words today make up for the kin-knife betrayal he had dealt this great man?

His eyes wandered for the umpteenth time over the contents of the tent; the portable Pai Sho set, (better than the one Zuko had stollen for him), a brass tea set, (much cheaper than the one Zuko had given him), the finely woven mats softening the floor, (less ornate, but more durable than the ones Zuko had procured).

Zuko shook his head in shame. How had he ever truly believed that common people owed him anything? The world still had her pirates, sure, but at seventeen Zuko had trekked over most of her. Most people earned what they had. The sweat to buy the thing, and the open heart that gave it up was what made a true treasure. He knew that now. The item itself didn’t matter. All the best gifts had value because the givers did.  
Zuko frowned, deciding that-assuming he survived the impending battle- he would go find every one of the people he had wronged, and pay them back.

His uncle stirred, sat up, (still with his back to Zuko), and yawned as he stretched. All previous mental drafts of his speech vanished but he had to do this anyway.

Iroh’s head turned to the side, sensing the other person in the room. He saw Zuko, stilled, and kept his countenance turned away.

Heavy despair poured into Zuko’s soul; his uncle could not forgive him. But it was like he had told Sokka; one had to try every time, even when you knew you would fail.

“Uncle,” he began, leaning sweaty palms on bent knees, “I know you must have mixed feelings about seeing me.” he could not help but hang his head. “But I want you to know, I am so so sorry Uncle!” tears were already flowing down his cheeks. “I am so sorry and ashamed of what I did.” he shook his head, “I don’t know how I can make it up to you, but I-”

A grip fit for an earth bender yanked Zuko by the front of his shirt into an inescapable hug.

**SENSU**

The new prisoners were at the south side of the metal walled grounds. No one welcomed them. Everyone waited to see how long they would last. For a time Sensu had believed in escape, but by now he had watched too many bright spirits slowly snuffed. That, and the fact that he was rotting from the inside didn’t help his mood.

The new soldiers stood in a small circle, each one looking to a middle aged man, with a square jaw, and a messy brown beard. Sensu blinked.

“Hey, Feng,” he said to the emaciated man to his left.

“Yeah?” said Feng. Even rail thin the man managed to look imposing.

“Hit me.” said Sensu, still looking at the leader of the new prisoners.

Feng raised an eyebrow. “You want me to hit you?”

“Yeah. Hard.” said Sensu. The square shoulders, strong arms, farm tanned skin, those kind eyes; he had to be hallucinating.

SMACK! - Thunk!

Sensu grunted, sat up, shook his head and took Feng’s offered hand to stand.

“That hard enough for you?” asked Feng, with a smirk.

“Thanks.” Sensu’s vision was swimming. He blinked the tears out, and refocused on the man. He was the same, maybe a little more wrinkled than at Sensu’s last look three years prior, but his father was the same as he had always been.  
His feet were moving toward the man, though the tears kept blocking his vision. His father had seen him now. He was coming towards him. He was crying too. Of course he was. He was happy. The idiot.

Sensu held his father’s hands as they cupped his face. A stream of incoherent sentimentalities poured out of his father’s mouth.

“Father,” said Sensu. His tears were dry now.

“Yes, my son? Your mother will be-”

“Father.” interrupted Sensu.

“Yes?”

“What are you doing here?”

Gansu shook his head, taking in his son’s figure slowly with his eyes. “We heard they captured your battalion. I promised your mother I’d find you. And I have!”

Sensu smirked, this throat tight again. “Ok. Great. So who’s at the farm now, huh? Just Mom?”

“Your brother’s-”

“Yeah, how old is Lee now? Eleven? Twelve?”

“Twelve.” said his father with pride.

Sensu nodded. “That’s just great Dad! We are losing the war, and-”

“Don’t say that, Son!”

“-you decide that it’s a good idea to leave your farm alone with your wife and a twelve year old. Brilliant logic. Just smashing.” harsh laughter came from somewhere deep in his empty stomach. “Why did you send me off to war, huh? I’ll tell you why, _SO NO ONE ELSE HAD TO GO!”_

He shoved his father a foot away from himself.

The courtyard had gone silent.

His father was angry, but not at him, “What have they done to you, Son?” he said low and dangerous.

Sensu swallowed. “You shouldn’t be here.” he almost whispered. He forced indifference into his stance. “But now you are so welcome idiots!” he said, spreading his arms wide in mock hospitality. “Welcome, to zombie land. Your life is already over, but they will never let you die!”

He turned to walk back to his unit. The crowd returned to their subdued talk. The fact that his father was silent, yet still watching him, cut deep.

“Who was that?” asked Shinhan, apparently to relieve her boredom.

“No one.” said Sensu, assuming a careless attitude and low volume, “I’ve got another escape plan.”

The others exchanged looks.

“Don’t come if you don’t want to.”

“Look, Sen-” said Feng.

“We’re in,” said Tinsung, indicating he and his cousin Taehoon.

“It will work this time. I can feel it.” he insisted with a carefree smile. His gaze met his father’s eyes. It would probably get him killed, probably get them all killed.

Blasted man! He had been ready to die, more or less, in the knowledge that his family would be ok, even when the Earth Kingdom fell. Now, however, Sensu could not watch his father join the slow file ranks of those who died here. At least one of them had to make it home.

The plan was simple; pretend to have Peintur Pox, (though in his case the paint of crushed courtyard weeds was unnecessary), play up their symptoms and get themselves all thrown to the spider-hound at once. He had visited the animal once more, and it had licked his hands through the bars. It bit off the limbs of foolish guards because they periodically burned and prodded it with spikes. Sensu was certain the beast was no more inherently violent than himself.

When he pressed the leaves into his father’s palm and whispered the plan, he could not meet his eyes. His father listened, without interruption, but when he tried to pull away, his father stopped him.

“Son, I-”

“I’m sorry for the greeting I gave you. Truth is I’m glad to see you, I just can’t stand the idea of anyone else getting trapped here.”

“I’m not angry, son.”

Sensu met his father’s look but only for a moment. His father still held too much naivety. He trusted that the escape plan would work, that they would go home together. Even at that moment his hand held Sensu’s arm; unknowingly squeezing a sleeve covered festering sore. Sensu yanked his arm free of his father’s grasp. There was no clean water to suggest his father wash his hand, so the best he could do was nod, and move away.

The guards had to get their hands dirty carrying them out to the Hole. Despite the way the bones poked into his back, Sensu savored every moment he could keep his eyes shut. The grate clanged shut. This time with so many bodies the guards roused the spider-hound, and it’s humming yawles of pain struck Sensu’s heart. It attacked the guards not them, and they retreated leaving their screaming comrade behind. Someone or something hit the soldier in the head, and the noise ceased.

Before he had finished silently counting to 60, Feng pulled him to his feet. The beast was gnawing on a newly severed leg. Sensu walked slowly towards it. It paused, growled, but it’s eyes held fear not hunger.

“It’s ok,” he whispered, inching closer, until he got his hand within range of the singed nuzzle. “It’s ok.” gently he smoothed the unburnt side of the creature's nose, and the creature let him. It sniffed him, adorably huge blinking eyes, and whimpered.

“Yeah, I know. I hate them too.” he said, his left hand continued to pet the animal, until it found the sweet spot behind one round ear. With his right hand he signaled that the others head down the tunnel. He kept his gaze on the creature, listening to eighteen pairs of footsteps pass. Their group was twenty counting himself. He looked back toward the bones near the grate only to see his father, kneeling beside the unconscious fire nation soldier, he had stripped off his own shirt, to tourniquet what remained of the woman’s leg.

Sensu frowned. “No time, Dad.” he whispered. “Let’s go!”

“She’s still breathing, Son.” he said finishing the knot and flopping the woman onto his back.

Sensu’s mouth gaped at his father as he walked past him and the creature down the passage.

Sensu slowly moved away from the beast who was contentedly munching on the remains of the soldier’s leg. When he caught up with his father he hissed in his ear, “If you think she’ll return the favor when she wakes, you’re an idiot.”

He could barely make out his father’s features in the near blackness, but he felt the deep frown anyway. “Kindness doesn’t ask to be repaid, Son. You know this.”  
Sensu started to say something but a fit of coughing stopped him. He leaned against the rounded metal walls. His head spun, he coughed up something, which his eyes could not see in the dark and spat it onto the floor.

“Son?”

Sensu shook his father’s hand off, “Don’t touch me.” he said as he forced himself to jog away down the passage. It was a long trek through the dark, but at it’s end the stars told them they had a few more hours of night. Feng, his father, and two of the stronger prisoners bent the earth around the grate and simply lifted it to the side. Apparently the guards really didn’t expect any Earth Benders to get this far.

The wall was still in sight as was the road, but the moon was a mere sliver, and they ran for a good twenty minutes without detection. They might have run further but Sensu’s breath was painfully short, he coughed, stumbled and fell. He woke a few times, to find that Feng was carrying him.

When he woke fully, they were hiding under thick trees, Feng and he were propped together against the one particularly large trunk. Sensu hadn’t noticed until now, Feng’s neck and arms also bore the bruising sores.

Feng smirked at him, “You really missed your bet about me dying next.” he nodded to himself, “And for someone so adamant that no escape plan would work, your’s is working pretty well so far.”

Leaves crunched, and Sensu looked at his father, kneeling next to him with a slice of some roasted tuber. “Here,” he said, breaking off a piece with thick fingers. “Eat up. Can’t let your mother see those sunken cheeks. Or she’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

Sensu mirrored his father’s temporary grin. His father and the others wore the same prison clothes mostly, though they no longer stank, and a few had fire nation clothes. A river, Sensu could just hear it in the distance to his left. They had no sleeping mats nor tents but Sensu heard actual laughter from around the campfire.

His father talked to him while he fed Sensu, Feng and the Fire Nation guard, (who kept staring at Sensu’s father as if his kindness were the craziest thing she had ever encountered). His father’s story would have been unbelievable, before today, but today Sensu had escaped prison and wasn’t even dead yet.

His father had journeyed to the army, learned exactly when and where the capture had taken place and then joined up himself. His unit had personally stormed three Fire Nation prisons and Forts. Their efforts had found no Sensu, but had taken down plenty of Fire Nation troops before their eventual capture.

His father gave his son’s arm a squeeze, “You have no idea how I’ve thanked the spirits since first seeing your face.” he said.

Sensu smiled, laughing softly. In that moment he remembered what it was to be happy.

Two more days they traveled toward the coast, then the comet took the sky. They were up on a wooded hill, and watched the distant fleet rise moving faster from Caldera City to the ocean than should have been possible even for fire benders. They were headed for the Earth Kingdom.

No one spoke as they watched, but each wondered silently if there would be any home when they reached it.

“Let’s make a run for it.” suggested his father. “While they glory in their invasion, they won’t be looking for us.”

Nobody else had any good plans so they continued despite their weariness. His father carried Sensu now, as the Fire Nation soldier had crutches, (made by a former prisoner who had been a carpenter), and Feng needed help walking himself. They had not traveled five miles, however when a patrol overtook them. Between the prisoner’s weakened state and the comet empowered pursuers, their escape quickly came to an end. To her credit the soldier they had saved from the beast, tried to speak up for them, and got burned for it.

“I’m sorry, Son.” said his father, as they sat chained together in the cage-cart. “I am an idiot.”

“No, Dad.” said Sensu, swallowing in a dry throat. “It doesn’t matter. I’m glad we’re together.”

**KAIZEN**

Heat; the single thought, the dictator of pulse, the god of present destruction soaked through him. Kaizen stood ready on the overhanging dock, headless of the height, and the lack of railing.

He had always felt most alive under the naked midday sky. Most of his family could never comprehend this. It wasn’t their fault, of three siblings he alone could wield fire. All his life day light was his friend; chasing away the shadows, (and those who loved them), as it gave him power.

Still, a lifetime of Fire Bending had not prepared him for this. Even Phoenix King Ozai - long may he blaze - standing at his assumption that morning, was weak when compared to the object that ruled the sky. The comet’s power was intoxicating, every fragment of his body trembled; begging to be allowed to burn.

Wishful vision did not trick him, the roar of anticipation told him that the dark brown ripple ahead was the coast; the beginning of their target. The Earth Kingdom would fall today.

A short stream of flame flew out of his mouth as he shouted. He had never lived before today. All the sacrifices made to earn his way into his majesty’s fleet seemed half a copper piece now, compared with the wealth of fire flowing through him.

He shifted his stance, as land took shape below them. Something was up ahead. His majesty’s ship flew up to meet it. Kaizen gaped uncomprehending; the ship went down. Then two figures one, powered by a torrent of fire, the other countering with a conjured cyclone began their awesome dance among the rocks. The Phoenix King - glory in his power - had attacked the Avatar, the last great enemy would soon be ended throughout the universe. He joined the whoop of victory raised by the other warriors.

The horn blew.

Kaizen grinned. “Finally.”

His hands in chorus with those of a thousand elite fire benders summoned a collective tsunami of flame, and sent him down upon the land.

Why in that moment of all consuming glory did the face of his baby sister come to him? Koh Lyun was miles away, yet. He had risked treason to warn her and their mother to get somewhere safe.

And if the letter had been apprehended?

Kaizen shook his head. He had given the warning in code only Koh Lyun would understand.

Something deep within him chided that was not the real reason he should be worried.

Black smoke frothed up from the ground. His stomach lurched. He was lying to himself if he thought anything, plant, animal or human could survive what they were sending down. He let his father think he got the post out of lust for glory, really he had hoped he could make sure to keep his mother and sister alive.

Kaizen laughed like a madman. There would be nowhere safe.

He made the hand signal to the bender in line behind him. He could not see her face behind the red helmet face plate but he thought that chuckle belonged to Yazmine. He hated looking weak, but the decision was already made. He had to get off this ship. He could not be a part of this. He’d lose any favor he had ever gained from his father. He’d never be called, “my son”.

Kaizen leaned against a side corridor of the underbelly of the ship, panting, he removed his helmet, to wipe the streaming sweat. The blasted comet still sang to him, demanding that he rejoin the fun. He hated that feeling now, he hated how much he loved it; how much power it held over him.

_Sure Kai, you can dance for Daddy all you want but you’ll always be a traitor! A traitor to us who actually love you, traitor to the Earth, the spirits, to everything that breathes! You know what? You’re so good at burning things, why don’t you burn yourself!_

His elder sister's words stung the memory. She was right. All those years ago, when he chose his father, Kaizen had chosen wrong. Something exploded in the distance; metal screeched as if two sides rubbed against each other; a fitting song to this destruction. Kaizen redonned his helmet. It wasn’t enough to get off this ship - assuming he even could.

He had to stop it.

His feet double timed toward the command room, he hoped to the spirits to have a plan by the time he got there.

BANG! - TUNG!- Crash!

Kaizen blinked with the eye that wasn’t smashed into his faceplate. He groaned, sat up, yanked the helmet off, feeling the metal scrape away part of his cheek and eyebrow as it went. He blinked up at the determined face of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was poised to break his nose. She was in a skirt. He put up his hands.

She still broke his nose.

He wasn’t dumb enough to move again, or make a sound. He lay on the floor watching this woman - shoulder length hair flying free - take down at least twelve soldiers besides himself. Ordinarily his dignity would have been insulted, at the moment he was just impressed.

She fought firebenders, with no protective clothing, and apparently no fire power of her own. It was mind boggling, stunning. She used her opponents' bodies or fire blasts as repeated blows upon one of the largest pipes directly below the catwalk. She disappeared in a burst of steam. He heard soft footsteps retreat in the direction of the control room.

The entire ship shuddered, taking a sharp violent turn. Kaizen exhaled in laughing disbelief; had one of his majesty’s invasion fleet airships just been successfully hijacked, by a non bender in a party outfit?

Kaizen nodded. Blow to the head. That’s what made sense.

One of the guards was whimpering. Kaizen stumbled back, picked him up, and made for the firing platforms. He had barely unjammed the door and wind surrounded him. He watched the ship rise swiftly above him as it collided with the side of another in the fleet. The man was clinging to him with painful desperation.

Kaizen looked ahead, the coast was a strip of flame between charred earth and smoke filled sky.

He looked down, at the flat sea, rapidly gaining undulating definition.

Free falling, that’s what he had accomplished today.

Great. At least he wasn’t going to be a murderer.

Still;  
This was not how he had envisioned today.

**KATARA**

  
Azula screamed.

Of all the things to shake Katara’s foundation, this was not one she had expected. Not like a world dominator, not like a thwarted killer, not even like a wounded adult; Azula screamed like a child. It was one part rage, one part terror; the terror of being utterly lost in the world. Katara wondered if she had ever lost before in her life.

Katara glanced up at Zuko’s scared features. Maybe that’s why he was so used to losing; and so good at rising stronger than when he fell. His grip on her shoulder tightened, as he swayed slightly. Katara steadied him. It was a miracle that he was standing this time.

The fire sages had finally lost their momentary hesitation, and came running up to them. The leanest of them, was glaring at her. His golden eyes inspected her every feature. He seemed to almost enjoy being disgusted by her. Katara stood tall, and pointedly ignored him.

“Prince Zuko- that is-” said the lead sage. He shot worried glances between the royal siblings. “Fire Lord Zuko, What are your orders?”

“Take my sister somewhere she can’t feel the sun.” said Zuko.

Katara felt him suppress a cough.

He closed his eyes, breathing carefully. His temperature increased noticeably. His nostrils flared with sparks. Katara nodded, her neck craning to follow the comet in silent thanks for the strength it lent her friend. It would be too far away soon.

Zuko must have a bedroom somewhere in that massive palace, unless they had repurposed it when he left. Katara glared back at the lean sage. She would commandeer privacy for her friend, by tidal force if necessary.

They had finally managed to drag Azula out of the courtyard. Zuko’s face remained hard, but when his sister was well out of earshot he told the nearest sage, “Give her no outlet for escape, but other than that she is not to be harmed. She’s still my sister.”

The lead sage’s expression suggested compassion to enemies, (familial or not), was entirely a foreign concept, but apparently, he knew better than to question royalty.

“It shall be done, my lord.” He said and hurried away after the others.

That left five of them, apparently the angry sage was not going to leave Zuko as long as Katara was with him.

Zuko propelled them toward the palace steps, with sudden urgency.

Good. Katara didn’t feel like carrying his deadweight. She also did not want him to collapse with these hostile people surrounding her. Though as the sages decreased a few servants took their place, not every new person seemed a threat. There was an agile older man; shaved bald and beardless. The only other person she knew of who looked at Zuko the way those bronze eyes did was General Iroh.

Zuko gave orders to put out the fires, bring back those banished by Azula earlier in the day, (she really had lost her mind), “Except for the Dai Lee. I’m glad they are gone.”

Each step seemed to increase Zuko’s difficulty, but he kept a steady pace. Katara kept a cool coating of water over her hands, and her hands over the worst of his injuries, so they made it through the entrance. The comet was fading in the distance. Zuko’s grip began to bore into Katara’s shoulder, but she did not complain.  
He gave orders for the arrival of the victorious Avatar, of his own coronation, (he expected her to have him completely mended in three days? This guy!)

He could not help from coughing at intervals anymore, and the coughs were deep. Still he did not stop giving orders until they reached the door towards which his feet had defaulted them.

Zuko stopped, took a steadying breath, (though smoke was all that it produced), and turned back towards the remaining fire sages who stood just behind them.

His face was suddenly so hard; so unaccepting of anything but total submission from the people he looked on. Katara remembered that face and it filled her with illogical rage. That was the face he had worn when he’d first attacked their village; the first time they met. She understood why he wore that posture of authority now, the sages knew too they became immediately more cowed.

Katara wished her heart were more understanding. She scowled at the sages too.

“Listen well to what I’m about to tell you because you’re going to have to repeat it to the rest of the palace; every sage, every guard, every scullery maid, do you understand?”

Nods and words of ascent.

“This is Sifu Katara of the Southern Water Tribe; waterbending master to the Avatar, and my. trusted. friend.”

Katara felt her cheeks grow hot. _Yeah, that’s right. Look down on me now._ She mentally dared the angry one; all of them.

Zuko’s breath hitched. She willed some of her own energy into him, hoping it would work. Nobody moved, they hardly breathed, as he coughed something dark into his hand and closed it into a fist. He swallowed hard, and straightened. His voice was hoarse.

“I am going to rest now. Until you hear otherwise from myself-” he swallowed “- my Uncle or the Avatar himself, you take your orders from her.” Zuko continued.

Katara blinked. That made sense. It was just not a responsibility she had anticipated. But she could do it. She had to. The sages were not so sure about this. Katara looked back at them defiantly.

“Understood?” said Zuko, his tone daring them to give reason for punishment. Even Katara’s spine shivered. “You treat her word as you do that of the Fire Lord, is that understood?”

“Yes, Sire!” came the reply with accompanying bows.

Zuko nodded. “Dismissed.”

He turned abruptly, the bald serving man opened the door for them without a command to do so.

They were inside the massive metal plated mahogany decorated room.

The canopy bed was facing the door.

The door shut behind them.

Zuko fell forward.

Katara had been practically carrying the majority of his weight, but now he set them both off balance. She softened his fall with a personal wave, but bashed her own knees. The serving man lifted Zuko’s head, as Katara retracted her bending water.

“No, no, no, my prince. This isn’t the way. Not now.” said the servant.

Zuko blinked, the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. Zuko was smiling. “Hey, Tulizar.” he said, he was having trouble breathing, “Katara you-” he winced, one arm grasped the freckled wrist of the serving man. “You can trust this one. He- He was-”

Zuko coughed. He gasped. He struggled without breath.

Katara banished her own panic, and sent her water to examine.

One of his lungs had flattened. She’d seen it happen before, one of the boys two years older than Sokka after a fire nation raid. Think Katara, what had Gran-Gran done? Her hands moved without her mind, ahead of it. She had made a hollow spike of ice and pierced his chest.

The air released.

Zuko heaved in the missing air.

There was so much burned inside of him.

It terrified her.

Which vital did she save first?

“Help me get him to the bed.” she said to the servant, Tulizar.

Katara did not know afterwards what had caused her minimal memory of the next twelve hours.

It could have been the prolonged trauma of holding a friend who had nearly died for you, above the edge of death with your bare hands.

It could have been the things those hands had bent to achieve that goal.

Katara suspected the latter.

She did remember having a panic attack. After the court physician was recalled from Azula’s banishment, Katara had gone to the room assigned to her, (adjoining Zuko’s apartments), and looked at herself in the mirror.

Soot smudged, her hair matted from being wet and uncombed, her clothes both torn and singed.

She saw a tiny girl in an oversized imperial room. She saw a conquering warrior after winning the longest battle of her life. She felt everything and nothing.

Her own breathing sounded not unlike Zuko’s had a few hours before. She collapsed, arms clasping her knees, tears wetting her cheeks.

She longed for Aang’s smile, and Sokka’s stupid jokes, and her dad’s strong arms to protect her.

She ached for Momo’s chattering and Toph’s laughter in her ears.

She wanted the smell of Appa’s fur.

She needed Zuko’s presence; just out of sight unless you looked, standing, arms crossed, subtly smiling.

A soul so raw and ancient; a seventeen year old with personal confidence befitting a field martial.

When had anyone from the fire nation, but especially the fire lord’s son become so irreplaceable?

**Author's Note:**

> First; I promise no specific length or chronological order! (Though this first bit picks up within 'Sozen's Comet'.)
> 
> This is Canon compliant because I love canon except I am a die hard Zutara shipper. Much as I would like it to happen in the confines of the show, I can see it playing out at that time the way it does, and... Dang it Katara and Zuko! They are both too loyal to their current partners to make anything (much) happen right away. I'll just have to keep following the thread and see where it takes us. 
> 
> This is not-comic compliant mostly because I have not read them. 
> 
> Mostly I just want more time with the GAang! More time in this world. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have writing it down! 
> 
> And as the thief says, 'Be blessed in your endevours.'


End file.
